Two pro-European Union presidential contenders are headed for a run-off vote after finishing atop a nine-candidate field in the initial round of the Czech Republic’s first-ever direct election of a head of state.

Milos Zeman, a left-leaning former prime minister, came in first, with 24.2% of the vote, trailed closely by Karel Schwarzenberg, a conservative with aristocratic roots who is now serving as the Czech foreign minister, with 23.4%.

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In a second round on Jan. 25 and 26, Czechs will decide which man will succeed the country’s outgoing president, Vaclav Klaus, an outspoken critic of the EU who opposed steps toward a stronger Continent-wide government.

The Czech president, until now elected by the Czech Parliament, has a largely ceremonial role, but the office does have some authority in the realm of foreign affairs and also appoints officials of the central bank.

By choosing Messrs. Zeman, 69 years old, and Schwarzenberg, 75, Czechs threw popular support behind the pursuit of more Euro-friendly policies. Both men have pledged to push for further European integration.

The Czech Republic “is in the heart of Europe, we shouldn’t be an island,” said Mr. Schwarzenberg.

OTHER NEWS

HUNGARY: Hungary raised the offer of its three-year euro-denominated government bonds targeted primarily at Hungarian households to 1 billion euros ($1.211 billion) from EUR600 million, another sign of the success of an already increased offer.

Other conditions of the offer of the 2015/X series, inflation-linked floating rate bond didn’t change, the state debt center, or AKK, said on its website.

Hungary launched the series in November with an EUR200 million offer, which it has already raised twice in EUR200-million clips.

ROMANIA: Olli Rehn, the European Union’s most senior economy official, said Friday that the UK would be better off involved with European Union decision-making at the highest level — adding to a chorus of voices against the country leaving the 27-nation bloc.

Another issue where Mr. Cameron has clashed with Europe is the possible restriction of free movement of people in the EU, one of the key freedoms within the bloc. The UK will have to lift restrictions on the number of people from Romania and Bulgaria, the bloc’s newest members, allowed to work in Britain, at the end of this year.

About Emerging Europe

Emerging Europe Real Time provides sharp analysis and insight into what’s making news in Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on the expertise of our reporters in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Turkey, the site provides an inside track on economics, politics and business in this emerging part of the European continent.